


For Just A Second, Everything Was Okay

by xxxbookaholic



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Family mentioned - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Lonely Tsukishima Kei, M/M, Mention of blood, Modern Supernatural, No Gore, Romance, alternate universe chupacabra, but i didn't mention them in tags, but it isn't graphic, but not introduced, chupacabra, chupacabra au, implied minor ships - Freeform, kind of, not a creepypasta, there are minor characters, tsukkiyama - Freeform, urban legend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:29:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24265906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxxbookaholic/pseuds/xxxbookaholic
Summary: Tsukishima’s eyes narrowed at the animal-like figure trotting by a stranger’s side. It was horrific, hairless and walking on four legs, looking like a mix between a mammal and a reptile. There was drool dripping down from its mouth and its nose was twitching, as if it smelled something appetizing. Fangs hung out of its mouth, and its spine seemed to stick straight out of its back and nape of its neck. There was a splatter of dark, wine red on its throat, looking almost like blood. The stranger, a man around Kei’s age that definitely looked prettier than the impaired pet by his side, looked unfazed, despite an aura of anxiety and terror radiating off of him, allowing a group of kids to pet the creature. The kids, around ten years of age or so, acted as if they were petting a poodle, clearly sensing nothing wrong.Kei’s glaring fest continued until the man turned to meet his gaze, one eyebrow raised in a way that would look intimidating if his hands weren’t trembling and there was a clear sense of nervousness in his eyes.The stranger’s lips curled, opening and closing to complete a silent, four word question, “you can see it too?”
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei & Yamaguchi Tadashi, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 12
Kudos: 41





	For Just A Second, Everything Was Okay

**Author's Note:**

> Woo, I finally finished! It’s 11:53 PM on a Monday, currently, and I’m thankful for the patience I had. Usually, I’m not good with writing stories over a span of multiple days (my writing is usually only 2k - 3k words and takes only a day, maybe two, to finish and post) but I’m trying to branch out. This actually took a totally different direction than I’d originally planned on doing. 
> 
> I’m not sure If I’ll write a sequel (if I do, it will be much later and focused around the scientists) but even if I don’t, I DO want to do drabbles and/or headcanons about the scientist crew. 
> 
> Please leave me comments on what you liked and what I could do better on!!! I love feedback, whether it’s detailed sentences or a straight up keyboard smash! I thrive off of validation from strangers ;)
> 
> For future headcanons and drabbles and other works of the short please follow my tumblr: xxxbookaholic (https://www.tumblr.com/blog/xxxbookaholic)

**_Miyagi Weekly_ **

**Goats And Other Small Farm-Animals Found Dead All Around Town!**

Kei had never been one to look at the news. It was almost always full to the brim with politics and useless presidential arguments, no matter the day. There were always exceptions, though. Such exceptions being an ominous feeling that seemed to push him towards the newsstand, to the cash register, and then away. His grip on the newspaper in his hands tightened until Kei’s knuckles were white from strain and his fingertips were red from pressure. He was almost certain that he’d have papercuts by the time he got home, but at the time, he could care less. There was bile raising to the top of his throat and he felt like he was going to throw up, despite not feeling sick or feverish. 

Those chilling feelings grew even stronger, though, when he looked up from the news to see a mysterious creature walking side-by-side with a stranger, no leash or collar in sight.

Tsukishima’s eyes narrowed at the animal-like figure trotting by a stranger’s side. It was horrific, hairless and walking on four legs, looking like a mix between a mammal and a reptile. There was drool dripping down from its mouth and its nose was twitching, as if it smelled something appetizing. Fangs hung out of its mouth, and its spine seemed to stick straight out of its back and nape of its neck. There was a splatter of dark, wine red on its throat, looking almost like blood. The stranger, a man around Kei’s age that definitely looked prettier than the impaired pet by his side, looked unfazed, despite an aura of anxiety and terror radiating off of him, allowing a group of kids to pet the creature. The kids, around ten years of age or so, acted as if they were petting a poodle, clearly sensing nothing wrong.

Kei’s glaring fest continued until the man turned to meet his gaze, one eyebrow raised in a way that would look intimidating if his hands weren’t trembling and there was a clear sense of nervousness in his eyes.

The stranger’s lips curled, opening and closing to complete a silent, four word question, “you can see it too?”

At that, Kei’s eyes widened and he took one, two, three steps back before straight up turning and speed-walking away, determined to get away from the stranger and his appalling pet.

The stranger wasn’t seen again, thankfully, and nor was the creature. What was seen on his way home, though, was a farm. It was hidden away behind gates and locks, but Kei was tall, tall enough to see the grim sight clearly. Two goats, cut open and gutted, were laying beside each other, sprawled out and practically drowning in a pool of blood. On their necks were identical bite marks in an abnormal shape. It looked like there had been fangs sharper than a wild cat’s digging into the goats’ necks.

A shiver ran down Kei’s spine as his thoughts traveled back to the hairless creature and its owner’s daunting question. Shaking his head, he gripped his work bag tighter around his shoulder and continued his walk home, the imageries of the blood and fangs still lingering in his mind, no matter how hard he tried to push them away.

**~@~**

Over the course of the next few days, the gossip of dead animals and strange-looking bite marks were piling up, so much so that by the end of the week, every newspaper and news station on TV had at least three stories covering the current situation. The town was going crazy, rumors spreading like wildfire about seeing a never-before-discovered creature. Each story was different, and the longer the gossip went on, the more far-fetched the tales became.

It wasn’t until Kei found one news story, though, that he truly began to feel the pressure everybody else in the town must have been feeling. A man around the age of eighty-five claimed to have a seen a dog-like reptilian creature gutting his chickens. The description of the creature was about exactly the same as the horrifying _thing_ Kei had seen days before. From then on, even going out of the house felt like a chore. It felt as if there was always somebody, some _thing_ watching him. Fear wasn’t something that he normally felt, but by the time eight days had gone by, he was starting to feel like he might get used to it.

The feelings continued and continued until finally, they peaked.

**~@~**

Kei was on his way home when he saw the man again. And with that man came the unsettling creature by his side. Somehow, the man looked even more anxious. His hands were shaking, his eyebrows were twitching, he was biting his lip, and whenever somebody walked by him, looked at him for too long, or asked about his “dog”, he jumped. In short, he looked like he was about to either faint or throw up, which wasn’t too different of an emotion compared to how Kei was feeling.

Kei felt like he was being split in half, one side of him wanting to flee and the other wanting to trek closer. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to decide on which choice was the right one, as before he knew it, the stranger was suddenly right in front of him, hands twitching and feet shifting.

“Hi,” the stranger said, his tone soft and full of nervous energy.

After a few moments, Tsukishima regained his nonchalant posture (to the best of his abilities) and looked down at the _thing_. “What’s the deal with your pet?”

The stranger followed his gaze back down to the creature, placing his hand protectively on the horror-movie-esque pet’s head. “His name is Rex, he isn’t just a pet. And, to answer your very bold and _rude_ question, I don’t know. Nobody else can see anything wrong with him. They just see a puppy. I’m not even sure if he’s _actually_ a male,” the stranger said.

“Huh. Well, I don’t want to be anywhere near _that_ ,” Tsukishima started hesitantly, “so I’ll be leaving now.” Kei turned around, but before he could speed-walk home again, a hand was being placed on his shoulder and keeping him in place.

“Wait, no, please. You’re the only person who can see Rex for who he is. Stick around, please?” Usually, he wouldn’t be swayed so easily. He’d shrug the hand off and walk away, straight back into the safety of his home. And that was exactly what he _would_ have done if the stranger’s eyes didn’t look so _desperate_ when Kei turned around.

After a few moments of staring, he sighed, brushed the hand away and put his palm out. “Phone?”

The stranger’s eyes immediately brightened as he tugged his hand out of his pocket and gave it to Kei. After punching in his cellphone number, he turned around, tightened his grip on his bag, and walked away.

Kei wasn’t even half way home when his phone chimed. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and scanned over the text message. It was around then that he began to realize that this unnamed, admittedly attractive stranger was the first person he’d given his number to since seventh grade. Since his brother disappeared.

**Yamaguchi Tadashi**

**_My place at 17:30 tomorrow?_ **

****

**Tsukishima Kei**

**_Address?_ **

By the time Kei was home, he had gathered the stranger, Yamaguchi Tadashi’s, address and a time to meet up. The very idea of returning to the presence of that _thing_ sent a chill down his spine, but he pushed the unnerving feelings aside, focusing instead on how bright Yamaguchi’s eyes looked at the prospect of Kei accepting his friendliness.

**~@~**

‘Tomorrow’ came both way too quickly and far too slowly. On one hand, Kei wanted to skip their “hangout” and leave town. If he truly wanted to, he was sure that Kuroo and Kenma would let him stay with them for a few weeks. Packing his bags and escaping was tempting, but the thought of Yamaguchi’s relieved smile kept Kei going. So instead, he pushed his wallet into his pocket and followed the instructions that were dinging from his phone.

The closer he got to the house, the more worried he got, but he made himself continue walking anyways.

Kei wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t what he saw. The house was small and posh. The walls were a pale, light green color, and the roof was a grayish color, the fascia and corner boards being white. There was a pale gray concrete patio at the front with light brown fencing, overgrown vines twining around the poles. Skinny trees and bushes were scattered around the yard, yellow and purple flowers lining the gaps in between. Kei most certainly was not a plant expert, but he _did_ recognize the flowerpot filled with chrysanthemums that sat by the front step.

After a few more looks around and exactly two deep breaths, Tsukishima worked up his courage and knocked. There was some rustling, a clear curse word yelled, a sound that seemed like a mix between a bark and a hiss, and then the sound of approaching footsteps.

When the door swung open, Kei finally got a look at Yamaguchi when he wasn’t wearing a school uniform. His hair was pulled back into a tiny ponytail at the nape of his neck, as if he was trying to make sure his hair didn’t get into his face. It was to no avail, though, as there were still strips of hair hanging and poking out of the ponytail. He was wearing an intricate Aztec cardigan over a play grey shirt and olive-green jeans.

One thing Kei didn’t originally notice about him: he had a bandage under his left eye. Another thing that went unnoticed during their first and second meeting: underneath and peaking out of that bandage was the most freckles Kei had ever seen on a person.

“Hey,” Tsukishima said nonchalantly, trying to peek around Yamaguchi in order to catch a glimpse of the _creature_.

When Kei spoke, Yamaguchi’s eyes lit up the way they did when his offer of exchanging phone numbers was accepted. “Hi! Come on in. Sorry if this place is a mess.” This ‘place’ was most certainly _not_ a mess. It was just cluttered.

Like the outside, there were potted plants, ranging from flowers to succulents to cacti, scattered across window sills and counters. The walls were a creamy color, the floor was pale brown wood, and almost all of the chairs and decorative furniture was the same minty green that the outside walls were. The amount of fairy lights thrown over the couches _definitely_ had to be a fire hazard. Almost immediately, Kei recognized what kind of person this other guy was. A boho. The only decoration that was different from the endless plants and polaroid photos (all of which were organized in the pattern of a sunflower on the door) was a small painting of space on a desk that was leaned up against a wall, featuring stars, the moon, and planets.

“What are these?” Tsukishima broke the awkward silence and tension that had begun to settle between them by pointing at the sticker labels that were attached to each and every potted plant.

At the question, Yamaguchi’s cheeks turned a little bit pinker than they had been a few moments ago and he glanced down, his fingers twitching ever so slightly. So he _was_ capable of get nervous. Kei mentally noted that for later purposes. “Oh. Those. I name each of my plants and label the pots so I don’t forget.”

Kei wasn’t particularly surprised by this information. What he _was_ shocked about was that right when Yamaguchi began speaking, the creature came bounding out of a door that was originally cracked open. He definitely was not used to that _thing_ and most likely never would be. In fact, he was hoping that there would never come a time where he had to get used to it.

The creature nuzzled Yamaguchi, who simply laughed and started to pet its head, only hesitating for a second. “What is that thing, anyways?”

“I’m unsure of what _Rex_ is. He came to my door injured about a week or so ago. At first I was scared, obviously, but he seemed really hurt so I brought him in. Now, of course, he’s feeling fine, but he refuses to leave. Plus, I’ve kind of taken a liking to him, so he’s stayed with me.”

“So _this_ is the thing that keeps killing livestock.” At this, Yamaguchi tensed, his arms and legs going stiff. After the moment of shock passed, he spoke up again, this time defensive and maybe even a little big hostile— a tone that Kei hadn’t yet heard come from the seemingly content and determined teen.

“It’s the only thing he can eat! I don’t want him to starve. Do _you_ want him to starve?” Tsukishima responded by scoffing.

“I couldn’t give less of a damn! The sooner this monster is done messing with Miyagi, the better.”

From this, an intense staring contest concocted. Five steps in the door and there was already some tension. What he didn’t expect from this situation, though, was for Yamaguchi to burst out laughing, his mouth covered behind his hand and even more hair falling out of his ponytail, almost to the point where the hair tie was threatening to fall out.

The creature nuzzled his free hand even more, but this time, Yamaguchi couldn’t even handle himself enough to pet _it_. “You’re so _blunt_!” He cried when he finally got control of his emotions.

Kei raised one eyebrow, placing one hand on his hip and eyeing the guy in front of him. “Yes, my brother used to say that.”

Yamaguchi draped himself across the closest cushioned chair, sighing dreamily. “I’ve always wanted siblings.”

“They aren’t really all that great,” Tsukishima stated nonchalantly, sitting down on the couch and resting his chin in his palm.

His company turned around to sit on his stomach and stare Kei in the eye. “Of course you’d say that. You don’t have to deal with loneliness that comes with living alone!”

Kei decided to change the subject before it trudged too close to his personal life, “why do you live alone anyways? You’re still in school like me, right?”

Again, Yamaguchi went still. After a few moments of cautious silence, he spoke again, this time quieter, “I don’t feel comfortable talking about that.”

Kei raised one eyebrow in suspicion, but decided to cut the guy some slack and drop the subject. They fell into a not-quite-comfortable-not-quite-uncomfortable silence, the only sound being the _creature’s_ grunts and snorts.

“Do you want a drink?” Yamaguchi asked finally, sitting up. His hands were twitching and his eyebrows were furrowed, as if he was trying to solve the world’s hardest calculus problem, but there was a smile on his face once again, something that Kei was starting to spot the cracks in.

Kei simply nodded, stated that water was fine, and watched Yamaguchi’s back as he retreated to the kitchen. When the boy was gone, Tsukishima scanned the polaroid photos once more, trying to understand what had made Yamaguchi go so stiff.

Most of the photos were of locations and volleyball games, none of which Yamaguchi was playing in, Kei noted. There was only one photo taken with both Yamaguchi _and_ somebody his age, a seemingly short redheaded boy with a giant smile on his face. Yamaguchi’s eyes were practically sparkling despite the nervous smile on his face.

One photo was taken in what looked like a hospital room. An older woman, looking like almost a replica of Yamaguchi himself, was sitting in a hospital bed. She had a small but obviously fake smile on her face as she held up a bouquet of flowers. There were tubes tied up all around her and on her neck was a—

Kei’s observations were cut short by the door opening, Yamaguchi emerging with two cups of water and Rex trailing after him, snorting and yipping. Kei didn’t even see the _thing_ leave. 

“Thanks,” he took the cup and stared down into the water. How much longer was this to go on for? The silence between them became excruciatingly awkward. He wanted to pry more about Yamaguchi’s mother, but Kei wasn’t cruel. He saw how nervous the other got at the mention of his family, so he let it drop.

After about five minutes of this silence, Kei got up, shouldered on his bag, and nodded. “I’ll be going then.”

Yamaguchi’s head twisted up, and he almost looked like he was about to protest. Instead, though, he smiled, nodded in return, and said, “text me, okay?”

Kei didn’t answer. Instead, he walked out the door, ignoring the burning of two sets of eyes watching him leave.

**~@~**

What Kei expected to be a one-time hangout turned out to be a two-time thing when Yamaguchi called him up and asked for him to help figure Rex out.

“Hey, I think I found something worth giving a try,” he said, glancing over at the house’s owner patiently. Yamaguchi stood up from the couch and came to sit on the chair’s armrest, looking over Kei’s shoulder at the computer screen.

“ _Urban legends,_ ” Yamaguchi read out loud, eyebrows reading as he continued, “ _the Chupacabra, a horrific creature that feeds off of livestock_.” Underneath the title was a few pictures, all of which depicted a different way of describing the Chupacabra.

“It says here that it has been said to leave teeth marks in an abnormal way. See, there’s a picture,” Kei stated, pointing at a sentence on the screen and then a photo underneath. “The mark looks like the same one all of this town’s livestock has been found with. Maybe Rex is a Chupacabra.”

Yamaguchi shrugged, a motion that Kei could feel against his own shoulder due to their close proximity. “Maybe. He doesn’t look as scary as those drawings, though.” At this, Tsukishima looked to the side. He ignored how close their faces were and instead focused his energy into raising one eyebrow in a _‘really?’_ gesture.

Choosing to ignore the look, Yamaguchi reached his arms over Kei’s and began typing on the keyboard, ‘ _Chupacabra????’._ “You don’t need that many question marks.”

Again, Kei was ignored in favor of clicking on a website. It talked about the basics; Chupacabras were horrific, ghastly creatures that killed goats and other small animals. Many different appearances had been noted, but the one usually spoke about and drawn up was of a reptile-mammal-like hybrid with a long overbite.

“Are you a Chupacabra?” Yamaguchi suddenly asked. For a moment Kei thought that _he_ was being addressed, but when he followed his companion(?)’s line of vision, he found that Rex was being addressed. Somehow as if it understood what Yamaguchi was saying, the _thing_ jumped up, wagged it’s tail (which was lined with spikes like a stegosaurus) and grunted in a tone that Kei could only guess was either excitement or agreement.

After a few more moments, Yamaguchi nodded, slowly and tentatively at first, and then quicker. When he looked back at Tsukishima, his eyes were once again bright and he was smiling, except this time it was different. Instead of the nervous and polite smile he sometimes sported, his smile was excited and triumphant. “We figured out the mystery!”

Before Kei even knew what was happening, Yamaguchi had lifted one of his hands and high-fived it with his own.

Kei was shocked at first. He hadn’t had such close human contact in so long that he’d forgotten how included it made him feel. After a moment, though, he recovered and furrowed his eyebrows. “I think I did most of the work.”

Giggling, Yamaguchi responded teasingly, “I’m the one who made the final decision, though!”

Now, Kei didn’t think of himself as someone who got attached easily. In fact, he usually took quite a while to think a person worthy of even his thoughts. But for a second, only a second, he was afraid. He was afraid that this moment of joy and friendship wouldn’t last forever. He was afraid that when this moment eventually _did_ pass, there wouldn’t be a next time. For the longest time, he had thought finding happiness in being with another person was complete taboo, and now that he realized the emotion wasn’t as hard to come by as he thought it was, he didn’t want to lose it.

The feeling only lasted for a second, though, maybe two, and then he was glancing down at his watch and forcing _himself_ to break the moment he so wanted to savor. “I should be going.”

At first, Yamaguchi looked almost disappointed, although that might have just been Kei’s mind tricking him, but then he nodded, slowly again, and stood up. “Of course.”

Kei picked his bag up, shrugged it onto his shoulder, and walked away from the enthusiasm that still heavily inhabited his new acquaintance’s living room. Just as he was beginning to step out the door and into the blinding sun, a voice piped up from behind him, quiet and cautious.

“Text me, okay?”

This time, Kei didn’t ignore the clear search for affirmation. He nodded, refusing to look back. He was afraid that if he looked at Yamaguchi’s eyes, he wouldn’t be able to leave

“Okay.”

Then, Tsukishima stepped outside, out of the utter joy and into the inner loneliness, a feeling that he had just started to recognize had been lingering in his heart and mind all along.

**~@~**

Texting between Yamaguchi and Kei became a regular thing, something that Kei had begun to look forward to. Whether it was a question about homework or simply a hasty comment about some dumbass in one of their classes, he was happy to respond (after two minutes of wondering ‘ _why him?’,_ of course).

The walk home from school on Wednesday was no different.

**-Yamaguchi Tadashi-**

**_-attached image-_ **

**_She really decided to go out wearing that hat???_ **

****

**-Tsukishima Kei-**

**_Careful, Yams. Be around her to long and you might catch the *bad fashion* virus! I heard it’s quite contagious._ **

****

**-Yamaguchi Tadashi-**

**_Don’t worry, Tsukki! I’m wearing gloves_ ** **_😉_ ** ****

That was another thing that had become a regular between them. Nicknames. ‘Tsukki and Yams’. Of course, Tsukishima was rather picky about when he used nicknames. Most of the time, his friend just went by plain-old Yamaguchi. ‘ _Yams’_ on the hand was on a strict nickname diet, calling Tsukishima ‘Tsukki’ whenever he got the chance.

When a new text didn’t come after a few more seconds, Kei exited out of his messenger app and instead clicked on the news. More and more stories about the mystery goat killer were being created on a daily basis. Pretty soon, Yamaguchi was going to have to find a new way to feed his _pet_. Of course, though, every time Kei brought this topic up, he was immediately shot down in a rather defensive manner.

“ _He refuses to eat pet food, Tsukki! I don’t want him to starve!”_

_“I don’t want to deprive him of his usual meal, Tsukki!”_

_“He’s a growing boy, Tsukki! After he’s officially reached adulthood, he’ll switch back to normal pet food! I’m sure he will.”_

As much as Kei hated the idea of bringing up any topic that could start a potential disagreement, pretty soon, Yamaguchi was going to have to face the truth. Keeping Rex was a terrible idea. It had been from the start and would continue to be a bad idea until Yamaguchi finally called pest control or at _least_ the authorities.

Another topic that Kei tried to avoid bringing up was Yamaguchi’s mother. Every time he mentioned the other’s mom, Yamaguchi would stiffen and go silent, pushing around the subject until they were back on safe ground.

Kei stopped walking and turned his head to look at the farm he’d been passing. There was a police car, about three officers, an old man who Kei presumed owned the property, and two dead goats.

For a few seconds, he watched. The people were too far away to be heard, but he could still read their expressions. Things were beginning to get worse. Pretty soon, there would be no livestock left. And it seemed that nobody could stop it.

**~@~**

“ _You need to come here right now!”_

**~@~**

Tsukishima was gasping for breath by the time he knocked on Yamaguchi’s door. Hearing the urgency in the caller’s voice, he had booked it all the way from his house to his friend’s. For a moment he had considered hailing a taxi, but eventually gave up as it was taking too long.

Nobody answered the door. Instead, there was a quiet, “around the back,” and a few rustling leaves. After catching his breath, Kei followed the voice until he was standing in front of a kneeling Yamaguchi. He was looking in the bushes, hands pushing a few thickets out of the way.

There were a few seconds of silence before Yamaguchi waved his hand in an incoherent gesture and moved to the side. Getting the hint, Kei leaned down next to him and peered into the shrubs. What he saw chilled him to the core.

Rex (who would most likely be getting a new name soon) was nursing about four more Chupacabras, all tiny and fragile. Kei looked to the side, expecting a matching terrified expression, but was surprised to see a soft, easy smile and twinkling eyes on Yamaguchi’s face.

“No wonder he’s been eating so much,” he whispered in awe.

Normally Kei would argue. He’d state that the reason why it ate so much was because it was a _monster_. The only thing holding him back from countering was the simple, happy expression on Yamaguchi’s face. So instead, he said, “maybe,” in a nonchalant expression and swallowed the rest of his words.

Yamaguchi tried to pet one of the babies. Rex was _not_ pleased. She half hissed half growled and swatted a paw (foot?) out, talons (claws?) unsheathed. Immediately, Kei grabbed his friend’s wrist and tugged it back. “Mothers are often protective of their young. Give it time.”

After getting over the shock, Yamaguchi nodded slowly, smiled again, and then nodded quicker. “Of course! You’re so smart, Tsukki!”

Instead of acknowledging the compliment, Kei nodded, just once, and forced himself to look back at Rex.

Maybe he could get used to this. Not the thing, not the thing’s babies, but Yamaguchi’s easy smile. Yamaguchi’s speedy nods. Yamaguchi’s compliments. Yamaguchi. He could get used to Yamaguchi.

**~@~**

Tsukishima adjusted in his bed so he was laying on his stomach, chin on his pillow, blankets over his back, and phone held to his ear.

“ _Rexy,”_ Yamaguchi spoke again, cancelling out the silence that had settled over the two of them. For a moment, Kei thought his friend had fallen asleep, but apparently, he was mistaken. _“Her name. It should be Rexy.”_

Kei’s heart caught in his throat at the sleepy voice, but he ignored it, instead nodding as if Yamaguchi could see him and saying in the most nonchalant voice he could muster, “an easy transition for her. It’ll work.”

Yamaguchi made a pleased noise, a sort of hum mixed with a melody. Another comfortable silence fell over them.

After a few minutes, Kei could hear smooth, even breathing coming from the phone and know his friend didn’t fall asleep. Instead of hanging up, though, he put the call on speaker, turned the sound down so only he could hear, and allowed himself to fall asleep as well, lulled to a dreamless night by Yamaguchi’s quiet breaths.

**~@~**

“Your face is so lumpy!”

Kei could hear the people spitting nasty comments and snickering. It wasn’t something that he was oblivious to. The bullying and teasing happened daily. There was a difference between ignoring it and being oblivious.

Kei fell in the former.

Despite hearing the tormenting in the distance, he pretended it wasn’t happening. Such endeavors weren’t his problem. Because of his height, or perhaps it was his resting expression, nobody dared to cross him. It wasn’t his problem that others weren’t as lucky.

And that was how he had stayed all his life. The thing that sent Kei checking around the corner, searching for the owners of the voices, was the cry let out of who he assumed was the bullying’s victim. The sob sounded remarkably familiar, although he couldn’t place it, and so he wanted to check for himself.

“Why are you so wimpy?” Followed by a crash.

What he didn’t expect to see when he finally followed the source of the noise was the boy who he’d been recently spending his days and nights with. He looked more fragile than he ever had, sitting on the floor, sobbing over his backpack as the bullies taunted him, kicking his legs and torso and sniggering among themselves.

“Seriously, you’re crying?” One of the taller boys exclaimed. He had dark brown hair and a goatee. If he thought that he was special enough to be able to bully _Yamaguchi_ with _that_ appearance, he’d been mistaken.

“He cries about everything,” another said. She was the only girl there, petite but with a fiery, almost intimidating energy about her.

“Such a crybaby. What are you going to do? Tattle? Tell the teacher? Your therapist?” The smallest boy said the last word in a mocking way, singing out the words as if he was his own band.

It was around this time that Kei decided to step in. He walked to Yamaguchi’s side, trying to ignore his friend’s teary face and snotty nose. After a few seconds of cold staring, Kei cocked his head out, huffed a (fake) chuckle, and said, “so lame.”

“What are you; his bodyguard?” The girl laughed coldly, but her eyes told a different story. She was glancing at the two guys she was with, as if she was silently begging them to leave.

“So weak he needs a personal security guard! Where did you get the money for a guard, anyways? Did your mommy give it to you?” The tallest bully said, glaring Kei straight in the eyes as he spoke; like an unspoken challenge. Yamaguchi visibly stiffened at the mention of his mother. It was an action that Kei had gotten used to.

Kei didn’t move or speak. He just stared the bullies down, eyes narrowed and chin held high. After a few moments, the tallest got the message. He threw a wallet that must have belonged to Yamaguchi, along with a photo, onto the ground and stomped off. The girl wasted no time following, but the short guy stuck around for a few seconds. Eventually, though, he, too, left.

Kei handed Yamaguchi the wallet and photo as he helped him to his feet. “You can take care of a blood-sucking monster and yet you can’t handle a couple of bullies?”

Yamaguchi wiped the tears and snot off of his face, gave a weak smile, and chuckled with no humor. “Well, at least Rexy isn’t even half my size.” Then, he added, “plus she’s kind of cute once you get rid of the mammal-reptile-rodent-hybrid-thing.”

“ _That_ is something I’ll never agree with you on.”

After Yamaguchi’s breathing evened out, he and Kei began walking away from the gate, both headed to Yamaguchi’s house before they even realized they were moving.

“So; how long have they been tormenting you?” Kei finally broke the comfortable silence that had fell between them. Immediately, the air between them tensed, and for a moment, he wished he hadn’t spoken at all.

“A few months. They closed in around the time my mom,” he took a shaky breath before continuing, “died.”

Kei knew he was pressing boundaries, but the secrecy was starting to irritate him. What was so bad that Yamaguchi refused to talk about? “What happened to her anyways?”

There was more silence, uncomfortable and prickly. It felt like somebody was punching Kei in the gut over and over again; repetitive and painful. Finally, though, Yamaguchi spoke again. “Suicide. She tried to hang herself first. It was a failed attempt, a simple hospital scare.

“When she got home, though, she hadn’t changed. She had made a promise to go to therapy weekly after she was done in the hospital. Two days after being home, she swallowed an overdose of pills. Completely took her out while I was at school.”

“Why are you living alone, though? Do you have any family?” Kei felt guilty asking so many questions, but he couldn’t help it. He was curious why Yamaguchi didn’t live with his dad or his uncle or his cousin.

“I was supposed to move in with my dad. He and my mom were divorced. He didn’t want to deal with the living expenses and extra mouth to feed, though, so he paid for my house and gave me enough money to cover basic necessities. It would only last a few months, but it was enough to get me on my feet. I’ve been on my own sense.”

Kei had assumed that the pushing would result in crying, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, it resulted in Yamaguchi staring blankly down at the sidewalk, walking as if nothing was happening. He had his fists clenched and shoulders stiff, but other than that, he seemed completely indifferent. Just cold. Solid. Frustrated.

Before Kei even knew what he was doing, he put his hand on the small of Yamaguchi’s back, gave it a quick pat, and then continued on ahead, already knowing the way. He trusted that his friend was following close behind.

**~@~**

The beginning of a friendship with Yamaguchi was like a suicidal person going into a minefield. Kei was aware of the steps he was supposed to be avoiding and yet he still stepped on the landmine, trusting with all his heart that the other side would be worth the pain.

Usually Kei would have given up at this point. It took more effort than he ever thought he’d put into a person, and sometimes he thought about just cutting Yamaguchi off, turning his phone on silent, and continuing on with how his life used to be. The only problem was now that he had gotten a taste of Yamaguchi’s friendship, he wanted more.

So maybe the pain would be worth it. Maybe he’d make it to the other side. Maybe, just maybe, someday, they would be okay to trust blindly and let themselves fall, knowing that the other would catch them.

A friendship with Yamaguchi was beautiful. It was calming, full of love and humor, and everything Kei didn’t realize he needed until he got it. There were rough patches. There were times he’d step on a landmine and be unsure if they would still make it to the other side. And yet, every time, Kei found that there was no reason to worry, for Yamaguchi’s forgivingness was beautiful.

Yamaguchi was beautiful.

Kei hadn’t realized how much he needed Yamaguchi until he had him. And now, no matter what, he wouldn’t let go. He couldn’t. Not when Yamaguchi’s eyes still shined like that; not when Yamaguchi’s smile could still brighten anybody’s day. Not when Yamaguchi still lived in this world; beautiful and unchanging. An angel in the making. No, Kei couldn’t let go. And thus sparked a new question; for how long had he missed feeling like this?

**~@~**

“ _You know, I was thinking. Now that it’s been a few weeks since Rexy’s babies were born, maybe she’ll accept some normal pet food. The goat diet could have been a symptom of the pregnancy? I have to agree with you this time, Tsukki, I’ve let this go on for way too long!”_ Yamaguchi’s voice crackled through Kei’s phone, loud and ecstatic and yet it still held the soft, pondering tone that he had began to adore.

After a few seconds of silence, Kei realized that Yamaguchi expected a response. “I think that might be possible. Try keeping Rexy in for a little while; see how it goes. Have you been able to touch her babies recently without getting your hand bit off? Where are they now?”

A giggle crossed over the line, sounding like a toddler on Christmas morning, delicate and joyful. “Rexy watches over them in my house now! They usually stay in the laundry room because I keep a bowl of water in there. Just in case, you know? Anyways, I’ve been able to pick them up a few times. I’ve named them, too. Nekomo, Bee, and Kei!”

For a split second, Kei stiffened at the use of his first name. Nobody but his family truly called him that. Yamaguchi called him ‘Tsukki’ and his teachers just called him ‘Tsukishima’. “My name?” He managed to sputter out.

“Of course!” Yamaguchi sounded undeterred by Kei’s utterly surprised voice. “You were there with me through all of this. Plus, I can’t call them Tsukki, because that’s your name!”

There were a few seconds of silence before Yamaguchi said, in a much softer and unsure voice, “is that okay?”

“Yeah,” Kei said, his voice barely above a whisper. Then, he added a little bit louder, “yeah. That’s okay.”

Yamaguchi let out a breath that sounded almost relieved. There was a staticky noise coming across the line once more. It sounded like the phone was shaking. Kei could only assume that Yamaguchi was nodding the same way he always did; slowly and uncertain and then quicker, more confident than the first set of nods. Kei smiled despite himself at the mental imagery. Yamaguchi’s voice came through once more, “okay.”

**~@~**

**Yamaguchi Tadashi**

**_Want to sleepover tonight? There’s no school tomorrow. Besides, maybe you’ll be able to pet Rexy’s babies! Maybe Kei will take a special liking to you :D_ **

****

**Tsukishima Kei**

**_Sure. Hard pass on the baby Chupacabra, though._ **

****

**~@~**

Apparently, in Yamaguchi’s dictionary, ‘hard pass’ meant ‘hell yes’.

“Look, just put your hand out like this,” Yamaguchi instructed, delicately grabbing Kei’s wrist and moving it closer to _Kei The Chupacabra._ The contact, even if it was slight, made it feel like fireworks were going off in Kei’s stomach. For a second, judging by Yamaguchi’s teasing smile, he thought that the other boy was aware of this sensation. Right when the thought came, though, he let it pass. Forced it to pass. That was absolutely impossible. Yamaguchi was a touchy-feely-person, this was just how he showed his trust.

_Kei The Chupacabra_ nudged Tsukishima’s hand tentatively before wrinkling its nose and turning around, walking back the other direction towards the Chupacabra that Kei had learned to know as Bee.

“Reminds me of someone else I know,” Yamaguchi teased, tilting his head innocently. _Two can play at that game,_ Kei thought.

“By all means, who is this mystery ‘someone’?”

Yamaguchi rolled his eyes, elbowed Kei in the side, and then stood up, wiping his hands on his pajama shorts (which fit him _perfectly_ , by the way) and nodding towards the living room. “Come on, let’s go. We can order takeout. Do you want American or Vietnamese?”

“I was thinking Mexican,” Kei countered as he stood up and followed Yamaguchi, who was making his way towards the couch and seat that they sat on every time they hung out.

“Not an option!” Yamaguchi argued, draping himself across the couch cushions. His arms and feet were hanging off of the couch arms and his eyes were closed, as if he was deep in his thoughts. He had begun doing that a lot ever since he told Kei about his past.

“Now it is,” Kei stated simply, already punching in the numbers to the takeout place three streets down.

Yamaguchi huffed but he didn’t try to fight back.

Once the food was ordered, Yamaguchi popped in a movie; it was an American movie that he claimed to be ‘one of the best movies of all time’, Infinity War. Kei was only half paying attention. Instead, he was focusing his attention on Yamaguchi’s reactions. He laughed at the supposed funny moments, cried at the sad scenes, and complained whenever a character did something stupid. The variety of emotions Yamaguchi could show was beautiful; even if those emotions were being drawn out by a shitty movie with Japanese subtitles.

The rest of the night was spent like that. The food came, they watched the movie to the end, and they slept peacefully. Well, if Kei was going to be honest, the movie wasn’t really _watched_ until the end by either of them. Yamaguchi ended up falling asleep halfway through, his head leaning against the couch’s armrest and his limps sprawled out. He would have fallen off of the couch if Kei hadn’t taken pity on him and carried him to his bed. 

Setting Yamaguchi on his bed, a king-sized with (surprise, surprise) pale green blankets and white pillows, made Kei feel like he was intruding on private property. The moment he had tucked the blankets over the sleeping boy, he shuffled out, ignoring the urge to cuddle up to the other and fall asleep next to him.

Instead, Kei switched the TV off (after he found the remote, which had been hidden under the couch cushions), found a semi-warm blanket, and fell asleep on the couch. He had expected to feel weird sleeping at somebody else’s house, but to his surprise, the home felt familiar and cozy to him. Minus the ‘moving Yamaguchi to his bed’ situation, of course.

The last thing he thought before drifting off was _yeah, I guess I’ve gotten used to this._

**~@~**

Late-night calls had become a regular occurrence between the two of them. Usually, Yamaguchi would call at around 23:00 and they’d talk for an hour or so, just sharing their day and whisper-giggling (Yamaguchi did the most giggling, though.).

This time, however, there was no call. Tsukishima didn’t think to much of it. He buried the disappointment down and concluded that Yamaguchi must have had work. He had gotten a new job recently; a movie theater around the corner from Kei’s house.

Instead of fretting over the change in routine, Kei just tucked himself in earlier than he usually did and went to sleep, expecting a good morning text from Yamaguchi the following day and yet another walk at the community park.

What he didn’t expect was to be woken up a few hours later by a call from none other than Yamaguchi. Kei blinked his eyes open blearily and glanced over at his clock. _3:47_ blinked in red at him from his analog clock.

When Kei answered the phone, he was met by shaky breathing and muffled hissing. “Hello?”

_“Can you come over if you’re not busy?”_ Yamaguchi’s voice came through the speaker. It was staticky and almost indecipherable, but the emotion in his tone was very obvious. He sounded scared and panicked, like he had just watched the scariest movie of 2020.

“Yeah, of course. I’ll be right there,” Kei’s voice was nonchalant and way calmer than he actually felt. The last time Yamaguchi had sounded like that, it was when he’d been jumped by a bunch of bullies at school. Kei had found him thirty minutes later with a bloody nose, a bruise on his cheek, and his hair a mess.

He slipped on the shoes closest to his bed, scribbled down a note to leave his parents, and then crept out of the house. After a few minutes of taxi hailing, he eventually gave up and just ran to Yamaguchi’s house. Kei didn’t even need to think about where he was going— he’d followed the sidewalk to Yamaguchi’s house so much that it was common knowledge to him. It wasn’t until he was approaching the familiar neighborhood that he realized Yamaguchi hadn’t called him ‘ _Tsukki’_ once during that call.

He didn’t even bother to knock on the door when he arrived; he opened the door, kicked it shut with his foot, and then walked straight towards the first light he saw. It was coming from underneath the laundry room’s door. Also coming from the laundry room’s door were voices. One was very obviously Yamaguchi’s— soft and reassuring, and yet it still held the same shaky tone it had over the phone. The other voice wasn’t as much a voice as it was a hiss; a fowl sound of pure anger.

Kei carefully pushed the door open to find Rexy backing away from Yamaguchi’s outstretched hand, hissing and growling and very clearly skinnier than she’d been weeks ago. Yamaguchi was whispering reassurance, telling her, “ _it’s okay, Rexy. It’s me. Come here.”_ The sight was horrifying.

“Yams’, you should probably back away,” Kei said quietly. He tried for a kind tone of voice, but it came out sounding almost like a warning. Yamaguchi jumped at his voice, but when he realized it was just Kei, he shook his head. When he turned his head, Kei could quite clearly see the furrow in his eyebrows and the tears in the corners of his eyes that were threatening to fall.

“I can’t leave her. She’s distressed!”

Kei put his hand on Yamaguchi’s shoulder, which was shaking with sobs. “That’s exactly why you have to leave her alone. Look, see. She needs some time.”

Yamaguchi shook his head again, still refusing to leave. His breaths were coming out in hiccups now, as if he was trying to force himself not to cry and was failing miserably.

Rexy continued to back away until she was against the wall, her insistent growls getting louder and louder the longer Yamaguchi stayed.

Time seemed to stop. Yamaguchi reached his hand out just an inch closer; all while whispering things that would have been relaxing if he wasn’t shaking and crying.

Rexy snapped.

Before Kei even knew what was happening, Yamaguchi had yelped, falling backwards so his back was against Yamaguchi’s leg. He wasn’t even trying to hide his sobs anymore; not when there was a deep cut on the side of his hand, blood seeping down and dripping to the ground.

Rexy seemed to have completely switched methods. Now it was Yamaguchi backing up and Rexy getting closer, leaning forward with every chance she got. By the time Kei had grabbed Yamaguchi’s arms, dragged him out of the laundry room, and shut the door, there were bite marks all over both of his legs, blood seeping out of each and every one of them.

Kei snapped back to attention at the sound of Yamaguchi’s choked sobs. He slipped his jacket off and ordered Yamaguchi to keep pressure on his legs while he found bandages.

Eventually he found the cabinet full of medicine. He grabbed everything he could, including a wet rag, and rushed back to Yamaguchi’s side.

Yamaguchi’s hands dug into the carpet under him in pain as Tsukishima washed as much of the blood off as he could. When he concluded that the bleeding wasn’t going to stop any time soon, he decided to just wrap the injuries up in large bandages wraps.

The moment seemed to stretch on forever with Yamaguchi crying and shaking and Rexy barking, scratching against the door in a feeble attempt to escape.

When Yamaguchi finally stopped crying just enough to breathe, Kei leaned back and crossed his legs. “What happened?” He was trying to sound calm, but he couldn’t stop the winces he got every time Rexy made another noise from inside the room.

“I don’t— “ Yamaguchi paused to hiccup again before continuing, “I don’t know. I went to feed her and she… She was like that. I don’t think she likes food.”

Kei tried for a sarcastic snide, “clearly not,” but it came out weaker than he intended. Yamaguchi didn’t seem to care though. He didn’t look like he was even paying attention to anything Kei was doing anymore.

“Hey, we should call the authorities now. This is getting too dangerous,” Kei whispered. He expected the other to finally accept the fact that caring for Rexy (and her babies) was a bad idea. To his surprise, though, Yamaguchi shook his head, weakly stood up, and then shuffled towards his room.

“Stay until morning,” he whispered before stepping into the darkness of his bedroom and shutting the door behind him.

Kei had no other option but to stay.

**~@~**

Even crying and injured, Yamaguchi Tadashi was still beautiful.

Even when Yamaguchi was crying and injured, Kei still wanted to wrap his arms around him and never let go.

And that thought; that selfish, horrible thought, was what made Kei feel like he was drowning.

No matter how much he hated the thought, though, that didn’t make the thought any less real. Because the more he wished the notion away, the more it stuck.

**~@~**

Kei was awoken by light slipping into his vision. When he blinked his eyes open, the first thing he noticed was the sunspots dancing around the room, lighting up every aspect of Yamaguchi’s living room.

The second thing he noticed was Yamaguchi himself, sitting on the chair that Kei usually sat on when they hung out, staring down at Kei with eyes that looked almost empty; dull and emotionless. It wasn’t a look that Yamaguchi usually sported, and Kei found out pretty quickly that whatever _that_ was wasn’t a good look on him.

“You okay?” Kei asked blearily as he sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Despite how straight-forward his question was, it meant a million different things in his mind. _Are your injuries healed? Have you changed your mind about calling authorities? Do you want me to go home? Why do you look soulless? Do you need a hug?_ Can _I give you a hug?_

“Fine,” it was an answer that satisfied a total of zero of Kei’s nerves, especially not when he wasn’t sure whether Yamaguchi truly meant it or he said it at a loss for any other words.

“Good. You need to change those wraps two to three times a day, just to avoid infection. I can pick up some Neosporin from my house and give it to you.” Yamaguchi said nothing in response to his. He just continued staring at Kei.

“Can we call authorities now? Rexy is dangerous— you must be able to see that now, ‘Yams.” Yet again, there was no reply. Just more emotionless staring. The closest Kei got to a response was a small shake of the head. _No to authorities._

The silence stretched on continuously for minutes upon minutes, getting more and more quizzical as time passed on. Right before Kei was about to speak up once more, Yamaguchi straightened and said two simple words.

“ _You stayed_.”

He said it in a tone that conveyed surprise— to what, he was unsure. “Of course I did. Did you think I wouldn’t?”

More silence, even more intense than before. Then, suddenly, Yamaguchi stood up, looked down defiantly and said, “you shouldn’t have.”

“Why not?”

More silence. Then, “I was a mess. I’m still a mess. This is a mess. My life is a mess. You shouldn’t succumb yourself to that.”

Kei scoffed at that. “That’s exactly why I didn’t leave,” and then he stood up, “plus, I didn’t want to walk all the way home at four in the morning after _those_ events.”

Yamaguchi shook his head in disbelief but said nothing else. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked into the kitchen. “How do you like eggs?”

It was around that time that Kei realized other than he and Yamaguchi’s voice, it was silent. There was no scratching. No hissing. No grunting. No barking.

Instead of answering the question at hand, he asked, “what happened to Rexy?”

Yamaguchi appeared in the entrance again and shook his head. His lip was quivering when, making his next sentence sound shaky, as if it was coming from Kei’s phone speaker and not from his mouth, “I let her go.”

Kei’s heart dropped. “You did what?”

“She’s gone. I couldn’t keep her here anymore. And the babies. They’re gone too. All of them. I slipped,” he paused, eyes beginning to tear up like they had the night before. _So he still has a few tears left to cry._ After gaining his composure, Yamaguchi continued, this time calmer, “I slipped into the laundry room once she had gone silent. I opened the window as quietly as I could and then left. By the time I came back in the morning, she and the babies were gone. 

“Keeping her here would have been cruel, to both me and her, but I couldn’t give her to the authorities, either. They wouldn’t have believed me about the whole Chupacabra thing, anyway. All they would’ve seen is a stupid dog.”

There was silence again, but this time, Kei was the one who initiated it. Then, he nodded. “I don’t agree with setting her loose like that with the town at stake… But I trust you.”

Yamaguchi’s eyes widened. Then, he set his jaw, shuffled his feet, and glanced away. “You shouldn’t. Not after that.”

Kei rolled his eyes. “You’re being dramatic. It was either that or more injuries. You did what was right for yourself; we can only hope that Rexy will leave, now.”

Yamaguchi looked up once more. There was even more silence (that day probably had more quiet than there ever had been between them in the past). Then, he nodded. Slowly at first, and then continuously quicker. Eventually, he was smiling again, just a little. “Thank you.”

Kei took one step closer to Yamaguchi— two, three, four, all the way until they were only inches apart. Until Kei could count every stray stand of hair on his head and every freckle on his face.

He intertwined their fingers.

Kei wasn’t sure why he did it. Whenever he had thought about holding somebody’s hand for the first time — confessions, kisses, anything slightly intimate — he had imagined that it would be awkward. Instead, though, it felt familiar. It felt like this wasn’t the first; as if they’d done this one hundred times before.

Yamaguchi felt like home, and Kei didn’t want to let go. Couldn’t. Not as long as Yamaguchi was on that planet.

“You’re welcome.”

**~@~**

The TV screen blinked from black to color. There was a girl sitting on a chair in front of night sky backdrop; she had black hair, glasses, and was wearing a solemn expression, something not usually seen among news reporters but not something completely unwelcome. To most, it was better than the wide, fake smiles given by some certain _other_ reporters.

“Welcome to Miyagi News,” she stated. Her voice was quiet but easily heard due to the microphone that was sitting on the desk in front of her. “This is Kiyoko.”

After a few seconds of silence, the reporter—Kiyoko—continued. “The goat situation has gradually come to a halt. Scientists are trying to find the cause of it, but have so far concluded nothing absolute. Having agreed to explain their findings, scientists Oikawa Tooru and Iwaizumi Hajime are here with us today.”

The screen switched to another setting. The camera now depicted a laboratory, full to the brim with books, candles, and posters. There was a single volleyball sitting in one of the shelves that sat in the left corner, surrounded by trophies and medals.

In the center of the screen, sitting behind a desk, were two men. One had light brown hair, large glasses, and an almost charming smile. He was leaning his cheek on his hand as he waved to the camera with his free arm. The man next to him had a much different vibe. He had messy, almost spiky black hair, and a clear frown on his face. It seemed like he had at least tried to look put together, though, as he was wearing polished, gray and white clothes.

“Hi, Kiyoko,” the first man, who had a label beside him titled ‘Oikawa’, greeted, still smiling. The other man, labeled ‘Iwaizumi’, nodded.

There was a box in the corner of the screen that still showed Kiyoko, who was nodding. “What would you say has been confirmed about this mysterious case?”

Oikawa chuckled. “Well it’s certainly not a mystery. _Aliens_ , obviously!” His response was quickly followed by a not-so-subtle jab to the ribs by the man beside him.

As the brown-haired man whined, “ _Iwa-chan, mean,”_ Iwaizumi spoke up for the first time. “DNA has been found on the injuries of two goats. It’s definitely odd that there wasn’t saliva or any blood mingling on any of the other livestock attacked, but putting that aside, we are working hard, along with our team, to track what we’ve found and put a label on this _thing_.”

At the word ‘team’, the screen switched once more to a photo of about nine people. The scientists, Oikawa and Iwaizumi, were standing to the side, packed tightly next to a bald man, the former winking and throwing up a peace sign while the former rolled his eyes, arms crossed. There were labels beside them that stated their names, and beside Iwaizumi’s name was the label ‘ _head of the_ case’.

Sitting on the ground, looking at the camera and smiling awkwardly, was a man with light-brown hair and a white lab coat. There was a label beside him that read ‘Yaku Morisuke’. Hovering over him, clearly the source of the awkwardness in the smaller man’s smile, was a white-haired man, tall and lanky. He had a wide smile and a hand on top of ‘Yaku’’s head. There was a label beside him that said ‘Lev Haiba’.

Beside Lev was two men, almost as tall (but not quite as lanky) as him. They were leaning their backs on each other, each pointing to themselves with a jabbed out thumb, as if they were trying to copy an action movie’s cover. The one on the right, slightly taller, had spiky black hair, a red track jacket, and a toothier smile. The one on the left had gelled, styled-to-be-messy black-and-white hair and a matching black-and-white jacket. Beside them were the labels ‘Kuroo Tetsurou’ and ‘Bokuto Kotaro’.

Kneeling in front of Kuroo was a slightly shorter, most likely younger man, with shoulder-length blonde and black hair, pulled up in a messy bun, and a red track jacket. He was leaning back, to the point where his head and back were resting against Kuroo’s leg. Beside him was the label ‘Kozume Kenma’.

On the far-left side of the photo was a man with curly black hair and a light blue t-shirt. He was side-eyeing Bokuto, his expression a mix between embarrassment and adoration. Over his head was the label ‘Akaashi Keiji’.

On the far-right stood the bald man. He had an almost wild look in his eye and an equally wild smile, looking directly at the camera.

The only girl on the team, a short woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and an orange and black jacket, was sitting cross legged next to Yaku, smiling contently at the camera. Next to her was the label ‘Yachi Hitoka’.

After a few more seconds, the screen flashed back to Kiyoka, who nodded. “Thank you, Iwaizumi.” She then looked at the camera and continued, “check back in tomorrow for more news on this case. Thank you and goodnight.”

From then on, the news took a different route, discussing other topics like presidential elections and weather changes.

When the news officially closed off for the night, the TV screen turned back off. With the staticky sound gone, everything was silent. Everything except the sound of crickets and the whistling of the breeze.

Time stilled and for a second, just a second, everything was okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Again: PLEASE LEAVE ME FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS! I DON'T CARE IF IT'S DETAILED AND GRAMMATICAL OR IF IT'S JUST A KEYBOARD SMASH! IT MAKES MY DAY!


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